While Boris Johnson remained confident that with the backing of the 211 MPs he will be able to coast through the rest of his tenure, he ignored that four in ten of his own Conservative Party MPs think they are better off without him.
With that number, it is a challenge for any leader to continue in office, especially when the leader is aware that the opponents have not been silenced but only merely thwarted.
Tory bigwigs and former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May also were tested via no-confidence vote launched by their own party members and they emerged victorious. They were, however, forced to resign weeks or months later.
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Now the question arises, will Boris – who ascended to the position of UK PM following Theresa May’s no-confidence win but subsequent resignation – face a similar fate like May.
The chances are less but according to 1922 Committee Chair Graham Brady who presided and conducted the no-confidence ballot said that it was ‘technically possible’ to strike down the ‘grace period’ that follows a no-confidence vote which disallows leadership challenges for 12 months.
What also needs to be pointed out is Theresa May in 2018 won more votes than Boris Johnson did when she faced a similar situation. Theresa May won 63% of the votes while Boris Johnson won 58% of the votes.
John Major in 1995 and Margaret Thatcher in 1990 also won more than Boris Johnson and yet failed to retain their position. Though the ex-PM Major remained in power for two more years, he was handed a thumping defeat in 1997.
Margaret Thatcher – the Iron Lady – made way for John Major who became prime minister five days after Thatcher’s resignation. Thatcher won too, receiving 204 of the 372 votes against 152 for the then-defense minister Michael Heseltine.
Boris Johnson’s next challenges are clear. It will certainly not be simply working with the 211 who voted for him but also to further thwart the 148 who were against him.
This seems unlikely as heavyweight leaders and those MPs formerly close to Johnson have expressed their frustration over the Partygate scandal.
All eyes will be on the by-elections to be held in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton on the same day.
A win in those two could help him consolidate his position but the recent local elections also showed that Tory supporters were unhappy regarding the Partygate revelations and several Tory workers and lawmakers faced the wrath of the electorate.
(with inputs from the BBC, Sky News and BBC Archives)
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